Has anyone seen my baby?

Well, me neither.


Last night, Ian slept in a 'big boy' bed for the first time. I took his crib rail down yesterday and he slept in his toddler bed no problem at nap. I found him like this just fifteen minutes after I left his room.

Now if we could just lose the binky and the diaper...One thing at a time. This momma has had just about all the change she can manage for one day. The evening bedtime was not much worse, he only got out of bed twice but took nearly an hour and a half to fall asleep. Must have been the excitement of it all. I could tell when he hopped out by the sound of his voice on the monitor. Twice I came upstairs and asked what he was doing. His response? "I'm not doing nothing MOM", in his super tough guy voice standing all cute in the middle of his room, buddy (his snuggle blanket) in hand. How can you possibly be mad at that?

I'm sure the nights to follow will be tough as they were with Alex. We'll probably end up locking him in at some point, while he kicks the door screaming as though he's being tortured. I am constantly baffled by the fact that my two favorite things in life, eating & sleeping are the most difficult battles with some kids. Really? You don't want to lie in your bed for hours and hours and hours and hours? And why little person, with no body image issues or need for dieting do you insist on eating just 5 different items? OVER AND OVER? Really, I don't get it. Well, more to come on that I'm sure. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead which includes travelling without a portacrib, acquiring a monstrosity piece of bunk bed furniture to accommodate out of town guests, and freeing up the crib for baby #3.

I'm totally kidding. Sean, if your reading...HA HA?

Sean and I have been laughing at the two kids in how they are like me, or how they are like him. Alex sleeps exactly like Sean, mouth open, lying on her back with her hands crossed on her chest as though she's in a coffin. Ian, sleeps just like me, on his side or stomach with blankets and pillows always over his head. Alex shares my sense of humor and finds people falling hilarious. Of course, when they don't get hurt. We are both freakishly entertained by cars slowly sliding into each other on news coverage like 'WINTER BLAST 09' OR 'THE BIG FREEZE OF 08' (also obviously, when nobody is hurt). I first realized this similarity when she was 8 months old and I would find her giggling incessantly while watching 'Funniest Home Videos'.

And now, 4 years later she is still cracking me up with her sense of humor. Yesterday, she dropped to the floor in Target laughing hysterically at a leopard print 'Snuggy' (which I find to be the funniest yet most ingenious invention since the Flowbee. She laughed her head off the entire shopping trip, mumbling things like 'It's a blanket...but a shirt' mwhahahaha or 'it has a hood and arms...but it's a blanket and it has animal print!' mwahahahaha. Oh I'm so proud. Little does she know I'm gonna get her one for Christmas...video camera will be armed and ready to capture that moment.

Momma Called the Dr. and the Dr. Said...

I tried. I really really did. I've been teetering on the brink of sanity, having mild panic attacks that I can't take my kids into their doctor and get them the H1N1 vaccine, the swine, or hog flu or whatever you want to call it. I'm trying not to obsess, I've calmed down on the hand sanitizer, and I realize that health professionals are saying it's no worse than the regular flu. The fact is-it's spreading quicker, it's affecting more people, and I have a 4 year old that spent her first year tied to a breathing machine. She had pneumonia twice, RSV once and I want her, I need her, to have every protection she can. And let's be honest, any opportunity I have to obsess about something, I will. I'm on the way to recovery as at least I'm admitting it.

Today I heard of an H1N1 vaccine clinic just two blocks from my house. I called the kids primary physician to see if they had any yet and was told to go where I could, as soon as I could as they did not expect a shipment for some time. They also urged me to do my best as they have seen an increased number of flu victims in the last week. Within an hour, I had packed up my stuff and left work 2 hours early in a fatal attempt to just MAYBE be there in time to get my two babies 2 of the 700 vaccines on the premises.

Fail.

After 2 1/2 hours in line we were dismissed. A line that wrapped around the school, around the soccer field and down the block. People in masses with their precious little people, hoping for just some sense of comfort. So here I am, I'm so exhausted. It was a long busy work day, and a long cold afternoon. Ian fell near 50 times and was filthy, he also got his head stuck in one of the soccer nets. Overall, the kids were troopers and I only owe Alex one 'littlest pet shop' toy as reward for both her bravery and her patience. I talked up the shot so much that when we were turned away, she was actually disappointed too. She didn't even question my tears on our way home as I think she was fighting her own. Bless her.

We'll try again this Saturday.



In other 'good' news, we had our family pictures taken last weekend. Here is one of the shots. I think this is totally worth the early rise and the cold morning we spent up at Washington Park.


Still no news on the Ian 'Potty Training' front. The boy has no interest. I've resorted to buying 'Choo-Choo train' pee targets. These are little pieces of paper you toss in the toilet in hopes that your son (usually harder to train) can try to 'aim' at it. Still, no interest. He only wants to grab it out, or flush it down.

Speaking of flushing, Ian has developed quite a temper lately. We are working on funneling this 'energy' and luckily he has found a way to release the angst and has resorted to running to the nearest bathroom and flushing the toilet. He feels so much better after. Some people punch a wall, others scream, I've seen kids (Alex) run around looking for the perfect soft place to throw their bodies down and kick and scream. Ian? Flushes toilets. To each his own.

Alex has been bit with the reading bug. She's very into learning how to read. I went to the library and got some 'early readers' and she is blowing my mind. She has been gifted with Sean's photographic memory so I fear she may have a hard time learning phonics and instead just memorizes words, but whatever works. She's having a great time, and is so proud of herself. I just love seeing her smile and her self pride in this new challenge. She is currently in gymnastics and swim lessons and LOVES swimming even though she is not naturally gifted. Most teachers call her a 'sinker', not in front of her of course but she does her best, tries so hard and is the best back floater in the class.

We had a great Halloween this year. Alex was a 'pretty princess butterfly', she called it. Ian was Yoda, again. It's a great costume and it still fits so whatever. Best said by The Rolling Stones, 'you can't always get whatcha want'. He wanted to be Batman. Maybe next year. He was happy with his light saber and screamed STAR WAAAARS all night.

It was a fun night, we spent it with friends and friends of friends and traveled the neighborhood as a large amoeba of costumes and candy.